GEORGETOWN, Guyana, (DPI) – Guyana is slowly becoming a hub for international travel as President, Dr Mohamed Irfaan Ali inaugurated yet another airline service, this time the KLM Royal Dutch Airlines twice-weekly service connecting Amsterdam in the Netherlands to Georgetown in Guyana via St Maarten.
On June 4, 2025, the first flight from Amsterdam will land in Georgetown, marking the beginning of a new chapter in the Guyana–Netherlands relations and setting the stage for stronger partnerships and shared growth across sectors.
Speaking at the official launch event Tuesday evening at the Cara Lodge Hotel, president Ali described the new service as part of a deliberate, long-term strategy by the government to use aviation as a driver of national development.
“We do not see KLM as an investor. We see KLM as a partner to Guyana and it is our duty to help you make your stay here successful,” the president stated.
He said this crucial link is not just for passengers, but it opens up major economic and trade opportunities, especially in areas like agro-processing, cargo transport, and regional integration.
With this new link via air, the president said Guyana can be positioned as KLM’s secondary hub, using its strategic location for access to West Africa and South America.
“We are ready to work with you. We are ready to give you incentives. We are ready to help you work with us in making this your second hub.”
The president pledged his government’s continued support to ensure KLM’s operations in Guyana are profitable and sustainable, offering marketing and tourism synergies to ensure route success.
“Your presence is more an endorsement of our growing economy. It is a vote of confidence in our stability, our infrastructure and our vision for the future. KLM’s arrival is not an isolated development; it is the latest chapter in a deliberate and strategic policy that our government has been pursuing in the past five years,” the president added.
The aviation sector is contributing significantly to the Guyanese economy. According to President Ali, it adds approximately US$116 million to the national gross domestic product (GDP). It also provides some 5,200 jobs for Guyanese and eases the movement of more than 13,000 tonnes of cargo annually.
The number of passengers passing through Guyana has increased from 182,000 to over 857,000 in just four years, with seating capacity expanding from 336,000 to nearly 1.5 million. Guyana is now served by 11 carriers, connecting to 16 international destinations up from six previously.
All this, president Ali said, is part of a bold vision to position Guyana as a regional transit hub, targeting some three million passengers by 2030.
To achieve this, Guyana is capitalising on its geographic location, enhanced infrastructure, and digital transformation initiatives, including electronic passports and immigration services, residency and work permit systems, among others, all aimed at easing doing business in Guyana.
Plans are also underway to establish aviation training programmes – from pilot and engineer training to airport management to create a homegrown workforce to sustain the sector’s long-term growth.
Dirk Buitelaar, the regional manager for Air France KLM the Dutch Caribbean, Guyana and Suriname, said: “The launch of the flight is more than just a new destination in the Global network…It is a symbol of a connection between Europe, South America, between the Netherlands and Guyana, commerce and culture and most importantly between people.”
Minister within the ministry of public works, Deodat Indar, and the ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Guyana, Walter Oostelbos also delivered remarks at the simple ceremony.
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